Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-03-09
THE POOR MANS coUNTRY.
Ford County, Kansas-Its Fine Lands, Flour.
ishlng Cities and Towns, and the Ad-
vantages It Presents to the
Nan With Limited

i
vantages It Presents to the
1 Nan With Limited
| Capital.
Ford county, this state, county that To-
the past ten years has been almost wholly uti
lied by the stockmen, where countless herd:
of cattle, horses and sheep were held for sals
in close proximity to the great stock market
of the plain, has at last been compelled Il
surrender its vast acreage of pastural land!
to the sturdy farmer, who, for the past two
years, has been making rapid inroads int
the free stock range, compelling range stock
men to either Craze their stock upon their
own lands or remove them to other fields t
which tho man with the cultivator was YET
unknown. So the farmer of the east is rap
! idly possessing himself of the lands SO recent
~ held by the Texas drover as well as the
local stockmen whose herds roamed at viii
over the county which is destined to become
one Of the best if not the most productive
agricultural county in western Kansas. The
| greatest inducement that is offered to the
homeseeker from the east is its remarkably
cheap laalis, in q county that possesses sol
equal to any county in the state. that cfers
| educational advantages second to no other
county in the west. Twenty-six school dis
tricts are organized, in all OF which good,
substantial school buildings are erected and
school is now being held. The county is one
of the best watered in the state. The Arkan-
sas river runs through the center of the
| county from the west to the east, besides SIX
other living streams of water run through
the different portions of the county. The
county is well supplied with building rock
| which was largely utilized last year in the
wonderful building boom in Dodge City.
consisting of limestone, red and white sand
rock and the best of brick material The
county seat of Ford county, Dodge City, is
perhaps one of the most noted cities in Kan
sas, which contains population OF 5000 in
habitants, a city of the second class, and one
that has made more rapid strides, SO FAR as
public improvements are concerned, than any
other western city within the past year. A
perfect system of water works were erected
at cost of 70,O00, an ell ctric light plant
was put in which now lights the city by elec-
tricity; q good system of sewerage has been
constructed at cost of $50, 600, which as q
sanitary measure is worth all it cost; the
streets have been graded up and q uniform
grade established all over the city; $685. 900
was expended in 1886 in the construction of
business houses and private residences; the
city possesses two $4,000 school buildings,
five churches each supplied with a local
pastor; the county capitol is beautiful
building which was erected at cost Of about
1000 The city has one Of the best equipped
fire departments in the state, CONSISTING of
three hose companies, each possessing one
of the latest improved hose carts, besides a
well eqpuiped hook and ladder company Of
colored men. The city is handsomely located
on the north bank of the Arkansas river on
a slopipg hillside, the Atchison, Topeka e
Santa Re railroad running along the north
bank of the river and through the south part
of the city. Other railroads are
proposing TO come to this city
three of which are now entirely under
construction and are to make Dodge City a
eSx l<.yt; VI
county. Spearville, Is miles east of Dodge
City, on the A., T. & S. F., railroad is a
growing town of about seven hundred inhab-
itants and destined to become a city of sew
eral thousand people within the next two
years. 1t is located on the highest point in
the county where agricultural pursuits have
been followed since its settlement in 1876, and
surrounding which many of the county's
most prosperous farmers are now living.
Bellfont, 8 miles east of SpearviIle, is small,
but lately made q railroad station. Fonda
and Ford City in the southeast of the county
and Oh the south side of the Arkansas river
are good towns and will soon have railroad
facilities. ,Wilburn in the southwestern por
ton Of the county is a growing place and
destined to become the second largest city in
the county. 1t is surrounded by the best
and most productive lands in the county and
will also have a railroad or two within the
next twelve months. Dodge City is the great
mercantile distributing point for southwest
tor tory, Neutral Neutral Strip s or No Mans
Land /. and the Western Pan Handle
of Texas. 1t is also the point from which a
perfect net work of stage lines run to the
south and southwest, reaching Ford City,
Fonda, Appleton, Ashland. Kan, Fort Sup
ply. l. T., and Mobeetie. Texas, Fort Elliott
and Tascop, Texas. Fowler City, Mead
Center. Englewood ami Wllburn, on the
south and southwest of Dodge, and Purdy-
vile, Jetmore, Harold and other cities north
of Dodge City. In fact it is the only great
mercantile metropolis Of western Kansas,
and one of the most prosperous cities of the
plains, with a healthy, steady growth, no
boom, but a solid and substantial growth,
where every merchant is doing good pay
ing business, where mechanics are finding
employment at good wages, where the labor
ing man can find ready employment and can
find property yet in reach of his limited
means, where the cost of living has been so
reduced that he can afford to abide there,
giving him and his family the advantages of
good schools, churches, the best Of society,
and many comforts in life not guar
state. The Ford County Inlmigra-
extends to the home seeker a cordial invita-
ton to call on its secretary for such facts as
might be desired by persons contemplating a
move to the west. Write the secretary or
call on him at his Office as regards the country
OF any city in the county, who will gladly re-
spOnd to your inquiries. Address Jonas NJ.
Hastings, sec'y, Ford County Immigration
Society, Dodge City, Kansas. 97-1t